Obama Campaign Deploys Big Bird In New Ad

Obama campaign deploys Big Bird in new TV ad chiding Romney

NEW YORK (AP) â¿¿ President Barack Obama deployed Big Bird in a new campaign ad Tuesday mocking Mitt Romney's vow to end federal funding for public broadcasting. Romney's campaign dismissed it as an example of Obama being small-minded while the foundation behind Big Bird's program, "Sesame Street," asked that the ad be taken down.

The satirical spot, set to air on national broadcast and cable TV stations, shows images of convicted financiers, including Bernie Madoff and Enron's Ken Lay, and suggests Romney thinks Big Bird is behind their crimes.

"Only one man has the guts to speak his name," the ad says.

Romney said in last week's nationally televised debate with Obama that he liked Big Bird but would, if elected, end federal subsidies for the Public Broadcasting Service to help balance the budget. PBS airs "Sesame Street."

Obama seized on that comment the day after the debate and has used it every day since to poke at Romney.

"He'll get rid of regulations on Wall Street, but he's going to crack down on Sesame Street. Thank goodness somebody is finally cracking down on Big Bird," Obama joked at a campaign rally in Madison, Wis., the day after the debate, as his audience roared with laughter. "Who knew that he was responsible for all these deficits? Elmo has got to watch out."

But Sesame Workshop, which supports "Sesame Street," didn't see it as a laughing matter.

"Sesame Workshop is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and we do not endorse candidates or participate in political campaigns," the organization said in a terse, two-sentence statement. "We have approved no campaign ads and, as is our general practice, have requested that the ad be taken down."